New Strategy

--- ??? ---

"What should we do about that organization?"

Shadow Garden.

That's the name of the group that's been wrecking every plan we've made so far.

If it stopped there, I'd just see them as a big problem and move forward, dealing with it as best I can, but...

'They seem to know our every move and our hiding spots before we can even act.'

Spies?

That was our initial concern.

We made sure our plans were kept secret, known only to our fellow Knights of Rounds.

The reason we weren't too worried about betrayal was simple.

After experiencing the power of immortality, none of us would dare to betray the organization.

We could sense that deep in our bones.

While none of us were blindly loyal to the organization, we definitely didn't want to face death.

Yet, even after taking these precautions, the underlying issue remained unresolved.

Due to our arrogance, we swiftly lost our connections with the Midgar and Oriana Kingdoms, along with some of our fellow members.

Moreover, we suffered a significant financial setback in our battle against the Mitsugoshi company, all thanks to those despicable individuals.

Although our core operations weren't immediately jeopardized by these losses, there was a notable consequence.

At present, the annual production of tears had dwindled to 7, and the situation was worsening by the minute, indicating the severity of our predicament.

While I may not harbor much concern for the fate of the Cult itself, preserving my immortality is paramount, regardless of the cost.

Once we set aside the issue of spies, only one plausible explanation remained:

Could someone within their ranks possess the ability to foresee the future?

If it's the case, then we're faced with a significant problem.

This implies that no matter how carefully we strategize, the enemies will always be one step ahead, ready to foil our plans effortlessly.

However, even if they do possess such a formidable advantage, they'll only be hastening their death once the true leaders decide to intervene...

Although I would like to take care of the situation before it resorts to that.

If I cannot, then I will act to the best of my abilities to make sure they act swiftly.

Aside from their abilities and some names, we're basically helpless.

The only connection we were able to draw, is...

"Fray Von Garoff. He's also a problem. He's the one who killed Fenrir, Nelson, Lutheran..."

When I first learned about it, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

We were all familiar with that man, especially since his brother had been a part of our long-term plans to bolster our financial influence.

Once he inherited it, we could use the duchy's money as we pleased

However, his sudden execution sparked curiosity, leading us to conduct a thorough investigation which eventually connected some crucial dots.

Although his exact role within Shadow Garden was unclear, we strongly suspect his involvement with them.

Otherwise, how could someone seemingly insignificant suddenly rise to power and overturn everything?

It's widely known that he exhibited remarkable strength out of nowhere, a detail that aligns with potential ties to Shadow Garden.

Furthermore, his marriage to the princess of the Midgar Kingdom likely serves as a strategic move to leverage the kingdom's military against us.

With these developments, I can't afford to remain idle any longer, or the situation will spiral out of control.

"He certainly has quite the kill record, but even so, do you truly believe that man has the strength to kill all of us? That's laughable. You, of all people, should know the difference between us and the Knights that were killed"

Yes, the Knights that man defeated were...weak.

Our organization functions like an onion, with layers separating each sub-rank.

As you delve deeper, the strength disparity becomes more pronounced.

We're all Knights of Rounds, but our strength differs greatly.

The Knights they've encountered so far barely scratched the surface of the onion, nowhere near its core.

Fenrir might have been an exception, but Shadow Garden's involvement behind the scenes suggests they may have conspired to eliminate him.

That is also why we don't really need to pay them but attention. It's just that old habits die hard.

After living for thousands of years in seclusion, the Cult's approach has grown more and more conservative.

The reason being...

"Loki. You have seen what our arrogance has brought us. Do you truly think underestimating them is the right choice now?"

The ever-so serious Hel, huh.

"I'm not underestimating him. I am merely stating facts. We should not be the ones cowering in fear when we're the ones who have the advantage in the quality and quantity of our numbers. Even in the case he is stronger than expected, we can always retreat and have the ones on top deal with him."

I glanced at the three empty seats in the room, feeling a twinge of frustration.

If only those old fossils weren't so intent on hiding away, we wouldn't be facing this problem in the first place.

I cannot fathom what they could possibly be thinking, to be honest.

But if the enemy poses a threat to our core operations and our production of tears continues to decline, I'm certain they will take action.

And when they do...

That's when the world will tremble in fear.

My plan is to provoke them into action, but only if Shadow Garden is indeed much stronger than I estimated.

"That is..."

You probably can't respond, can you?

Well, I had a feeling. You seem hesitant to offend those old folks.

But honestly, I couldn't care less. If they can't even bother to attend these meetings and just take the three tears without contributing anything else, it's clear this arrangement suits them just fine.

They couldn't care less about anything else, as long as their precious immortal lives are preserved.

The only reason they can act that way is because of their immense strength.

But if they're not willing to go through the trouble of finding new core Knights of Rounds to keep the operations going, which could take hundreds of years, they won't actually kill us, no matter what we do or say.

So, silence hung in the air for a while, before I let out a sigh.

"Listen, I think our best move is to start by hitting the one place we know he'll defend," I said, pointing at Midgar's Capital on the map.

"What do you think will happen if we keep attacking this city? Even if Fray Von Garoff isn't there, it'll still deal a significant blow to Shadow Garden, knocking out one of their strongholds. And if he's there, we focus on him."

I'm not afraid of that man, but if there's one thing that I fear, it's his potential for growth.

My instinct is telling me.

I don't know what level he's reached, but if we leave him unchecked for too long...

Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.

---

Author's Note:

We'll be connecting back to the first chapter related to the time skip from this chapter.

As there is actually like... 0 details on the upper echelons of the Cult, I've just used my own theories and assumptions, so we'll use those to conclude the 2nd Trial :). Even if the OG reveals completely different characters, we're in a Multiverse, so anything goes.